Archive for the ‘Creativity in the Family’ Category

Thanks to our reader Sue Griffin who submitted the above comment to us this week. I really can’t think of a better way to re-cap this series on Mothers and Daughters!

Each duo has so generously shared their photos, artwork, inspirations and thoughts on how creativity has been passed down within their families. It is clear from these conversations with each mother and daughter how a love for the arts has been nurtured throughout the years… and continues to this day. And, as different as each of the six relationships may be, what is even more apparent is the love and respect between each of them.

Here are a few of my favorite comments we received about the series:

Jane says: … so insightful and fun to read.

Elizabeth says: It would be so cool to see and Grandmother, Mother, Daughter interview. It might be hard to find the creative triad, but it would be so neat!

Rachel says: I am loving the “back then” and “right now” photographs in all of the interviews so far. It gives such a neat sentimental feeling to the interviews. MORE MORE MORE!

Olivia says: I could totally see a book made from these inspiring interviews

Mary M. says: The love between a mother and daughter is like no other. The interviews this past week have been proof of that for sure. Well done ladies! Thank you for sharing your stories.

Please join me in one last look at our Mother and Daughter duos along with a couple of my favorite comments we received about each conversation.

Maggie Atkinson (daughter) + Katie Atkinson (mother)

Christian says: You know you are doing something right when your kid is quoted as saying “(My mother) is a perfect example of how someone can make a career from what they love to do.”

Ariel says: (as Maggie is quoted) “My mother has taught me the importance of being honest with yourself and your creative thoughts. Be original, be yourself, and don’t let anyone dictate how something should look.” LOVE!

Maureen says: I love the give and take nature of Katie and Maggie’s relationship, in terms of art and life experience – something I can surely look forward to with my own daughter! Thanks for sharing.

Candice Molayem (daughter) + Rebecca Molayem (mother)

Karen says: A talented tattoo artist with a fine arts mother, sounds about right! Haha. You never know! I think they have a strong bond that shines in their interview and work.

Gabriel says: Love this pair! They are very supportive of each other.

Jone says: Oh Candice and Rebecca – your artworks are wonderful! Candice, I adore your tattoo work – you are incredibly talented. And Rebecca – wow. Your painting style is one of the most inspiring I have seen in a long time.

April says: The love between the two of you is so nice and comforting. What a great team! This has been truly inspiring.

Lauren G says: Too freakin’ cute!

Brita Olsen (daughter) + Sigrid Olsen (mother)

Ines says: WOW! Ummmmmmmmm…. can you say talented?!?!?

Jone says: wow…I feel like such a groupie! I continue to wear my Sigrid Olsen clothes, sad knowing I cannot get them any more. No one does color like you, Sigrid. I am thrilled to “meet” you…. You ladies are so beautiful! Brita, nice to meet you, too, and know that you had so much to do with the inner workings of your mom’s company. Gosh, I am such a huge fan… Thanks for being a part of these interviews!

Patricia says: I would love to see more of their work. The pieces they have shared with us today are absolutely lovely. Thank you.

Leslie Shewring (daughter) + Akiko Godo (mother)

Teresa says: I love the philosophy that doing something creative is more important that housework. That’s something I need to keep in mind! Great interview!

August says: The mood of Akiko’s paintings is so interesting. I love the expressive quality and feeling I get when looking at them. Well done Akiko!!!

Jone Hallmark (daughter) + Kate Bergquist (mother)

Karen says: So sweet, I think this entry may have been my favorite. You can tell that this mother and daughter share something very special.

Julia says: (As Jone quotes her mom, Kate) “You can do anything you want to do!” “We used to say we were 5 years ahead of the trend. Follow your heart, please yourself, then wait a few years ‘til it comes around.”(That’s a great mother right there!)

Valerie says: such a sweet “before” photo of the two 🙂 Loved reading this entry and all the others as well!

Whether inherited or acquired, creativity is a strong bond that our mothers and daughters share, but it is the love and respect for each other that inspires and strengthens that bond to take on its full beauty.

Thank you for you comments and feedback…and especially for joining us on this blog journey!

Wishing all of you a wonderful Mother’s Day!!!

* The amazing response we have had from readers has inspired us! We are considering a continuation this series with a monthly post in our blog featuring one new Mother-Daughter duo in the Arts. While we focused on visual artists during the interviews this week, we also invite dancers, cooks, musicians, actors, writers, gardeners and craftspeople to email us at [email protected] with their interest. We will then follow-up with criteria for submissions.

For many years, I was a licensed artist in paper goods – cards, stationery, stickers, and scrapbooking.

Now, I tend more toward handmade items – papier-mache and paper clay figures, hand-carved rubber stamped cards, painted tin items and embroidery – so much fun! I also teach creative classes and sell my wares through a couple of local shops here in Santa Fe, NM.

Kate:
My life has been filled with executing creative ideas for various occasions – fun and frivolity! Mostly, I use watercolor and pen and ink with the incorporation of calligraphy.

Jone:
I have been very lucky to have been encouraged my entire life to explore my creative path. We spent a lot of time talking about “color” as I was growing up! I spent 20 years licensing my artwork for other people’s products and realized one day that I really needed to get back to basics and simplify. I went to a workshop in France and found a group of talented women much like me who were searching for that wonderful feeling of having created something beautiful with your own two hands. That, plus the deep friendships I have made has brought me to this very personal, delightful place.

Kate:
I started out doing fashion illustration in Chicago in my ’20’s. When I moved to Texas, I continued that work for some time, but eventually moved into working at the Austin Public Library and a local bank creating artwork of every size and shape for annual reports and Children’s Summer Reading programs for years. I did charcoal sketches of children at an annual Art Fiesta each year back in the ’60’s and am often told that those portraits are still hanging in the homes of the now 50+ year olds. I have licensed my watercolors and calligraphy for many years and continue to paint and write and teach calligraphy.

Jone:
My mom has always been a strong creative force in my life. From her I learned that you can make just about anything you want rather than having to go to the store to buy it. The process of creating is as great as the end product and fills you with a fearless desire to make MORE! I also really enjoy using a Spencerian bent calligraphy point when drawing or writing – thanks Mom!

Kate:
Jone’s work has filled me with delight and amazement of her skill and versatility.

Jone:
Mom and I have worked for the same companies many times – despite the fact that our styles are very different. We are both multi-faceted and we share a love for sophisticated simplicity and detail. We both struggle when we try too hard to make something “just right”. But, if we relax, everything just flows and some pretty wonderful work comes out. We both love watercolor, too, and have always had too many ideas, if one can actually have too many ideas.

Kate:
Our styles are completely different, but we share a lot of the same joy. We will tackle anything. Our paths have overlapped and intertwined without intention. There are no boundaries to what can be created – size or material or subject matter. We both teach and share our knowledge and joy with others.

Jone:
Our styles are different and I tend to branch out using different materials. I always thought that I used more detail in my work, but I recently found some pieces Mom did a long time ago where the detail is astounding. I am much tighter in my line work, though – she tends to be more free with her brush strokes.

Kate:
We have different styles and subject interests…. and use different materials. Jone uses anything and I tend toward the comfort of my pens and ink and watercolors… and fancy, handmade papers.

Jone:
Mom’s use of color is incredible. I use a predictable palette – “spring” – and she uses jewel-tones and mixes color to create a wide, unique range to draw from. I just went through much of her artwork archives and found little pieces of art that made me smile – I am inspired by her ability to see things “BIG” also. It is something that I have a hard time with. I tend to work in a two-inch square!

Kate:
Jone’s creative process is unlimited. I am constantly amazed by her ability, her versatility and her finished product. She moves easily from drawings for licensing to tiny, handmade clay birds and papier-mache figures that sit on little boxes. She is also capable of finding that little place in a person’s heart and making something just for them that touches that place so deeply.

Jone:
“You can do anything you want to do!”
We used to say we were 5 years ahead of the trend. “Follow your heart, please yourself, then wait a few years ‘til it comes around.”

Kate:
Where to begin? Shear JOY! Neither of us is afraid to jump in and try something new.

Jone:
I hope to continue to find new ways of trying the things I have always wanted to try. It just takes that first step. Sometimes it is hard to remember it can be that easy. I am licensing again and designing fabric – which I love! I hope to be more productive and creative with that … let the ideas flow!

Kate:
Today, I have been working on a birthday card for a dear friend. I am still active in the Calligraphy Guild, and am still teaching pretty regularly. I continue to contribute to local art-related fundraising. I am still involved on a daily basis, though no longer as a full-time career. I intend to stay active in the production and the joy of it all.

I do photography and styling work these days. However, I am trained as an architect and used to do product design for many years!

Akiko:
I work mainly in oils but have spent time doing watercolours as well. I work with oils on linen, canvas or wood, and out of doors in all kinds of weather – rain, shine & snow. Oils are a wonderful medium, it is kind to your mistakes & if one has the patience, great things can happen with scrubbing, rubbing or scratching into the painting!!

Leslie:
I love photographing flowers and color stories. These interests came from growing up in my mother’s garden and being around visual arts at a very early age.

Akiko:
I was always involved with drawing or painting at an early age. Growing up in Winnipeg there were opportunities to enter many art competitions as a young child. Then in my forties & onwards I started to paint. I was very fortunate to have had three good friends who were also extremely wonderful artists with varied backgrounds. One went to an art school in Estonia and the other to the University of Victoria. The other friend just forced me to go out nearly every day to paint on site and we painted!

Leslie:
I have always had a great respect for the creative process having grown up with an artist parent doing her work around the house. My mother gave me a huge amount of freedom to explore my own creativity around her in paint, clay, food, flowers, collage and the list goes on! This “influence” permeates everything I do.

Akiko:
My daughter, Leslie, is very creative and from an early age did many lovely drawings & paintings. She influenced me by just watching her work at her art; she enjoyed doing it, it was fun for her…never mind that she produced such great works!

Leslie:
We both love the garden and enjoy playing with bright color palettes.

Akiko:
We are both influenced by nature, especially gardens & show places where specific species of plants are grown, such as apple orchards, ranunculus fields, daffodil farms, and the like.

Leslie:
My mother is a way better artist then me. I wish I could paint as freely as her. It is hard for me to get out of my box of formal design training.

Akiko:
Leslie is more graphic and architectural in her renderings. She likes minimalism with specific use of colours that are so special to her. I tend to be more free & try to use colour as I see it. She has a very good sense of colour and is drawn to unique compositions with objects that are found around the house.

Leslie:
My mother was a stay at home mom with three crazy busy kids, and she also cared for my grandfather who lived with us through his later years. Somehow she found the time, even if it was late into the night to paint, to grow the most gorgeous flower and vegetable garden, to cook and bake everything from scratch and to drive us everywhere. I am always wondering how she did it. How did she produce so much creative work with so little time? This always inspires me.

Akiko:
It is a gift to be an accomplished artist, to have passion for your chosen field. It is hard work requiring energy and focus, especially when one has young children like Leslie does. It is inspiring to see someone work so hard at their art when there are so many demands on one’s time.

Leslie:
Doing something creative is much more important than housework!

Akiko:
The lesson I’ve learned from my daughter is how to be prolific, to do background work by reading, studying, and traveling and then to produce. There are many days when one doesn’t feel up to painting because it does take a lot of energy. My excuse has been to go out into the garden and work hard there! But I will then refocus, taking time to get my materials ready to work, and I paint.

Leslie:
To be a creative role model to my children.

Akiko:
A future goal is certainly to continue to work at my art as best I can and be inspired by my daughter and by people like Mrs. Mary Delany (an artist who lived in the 1700’s) who began her life’s work at age 72!

I am a fashion stylist and event designer, and jewelry designer in my spare time.

Sigrid:
I am an artist and textile print designer who has spent over 20 years in the apparel business as a fashion designer. My expressive medium right now is painting… watercolor/block-print mixed media artwork and hand-painted ceramics as well as running a gallery, boutique and website to share my work. My belief that everyone can benefit from playing in the creative realm has lead me to design and host my own “Inspiration Retreats” which offer women a chance to combine wellness activities like yoga and meditation with transformative art workshops.

Brita:
I think that growing up on photo shoots with my mom really drew me to working as a stylist. I love the atmosphere and the process of collaborating with other like-minded professionals. Doing wedding planning was a natural progression for me because I love throwing parties and executing a theme from top to bottom.

Sigrid:
I graduated from art school in 1974 with a major in painting and printmaking and a desire to learn more about textiles. After a few years as a hand weaver, I discovered a fabric printing technique that launched me on my career in fashion, which lasted for almost 25 years until the company closed in 2008. I have always been attracted to color and clean design…my work has a tropical influence seen through a Scandinavian modern filter, with a touch of the bohemian.

Brita:
One of my first professional jobs was working for my mom’s fashion company as a concept designer. I got to see first hand how she puts together a color palette and then grows her ideas from there. It is a skill I still use today and I aspire to be just as instinctual and creative as she is. It is amazing to watch her paint because it really is a fast process. You get the sense that her hand can scarcely keep up with the ideas flowing from her mind.

Sigrid:
My daughter Brita has always had her own very strong design sensibility and an appreciation for hand-made, vintage and authentic items of all kinds…a trend that I think is very strong among creative people of her generation. She was Concept Designer for my clothing line for five years, in charge of spotting and tracking new trends and providing visuals to inform the design team as they took the product from concept to completion. She especially was important to me because she was the one person I knew would always tell me the truth and keep me on track…a reality check as it were.

Brita:
My mom’s trademark love of color must have seeped in when I was in the womb, because neither of us has ever been drawn to an all black type of lifestyle. We both love prints and tropical/ bohemian inspired design.

Sigrid:
Brita and I have similar tastes in many ways. Aesthetics and beauty are important to us both and at the center of our lives on a daily basis. We love to make things and don’t shy away from trying new ideas and craft projects…we are also both always restless and looking for new creative challenges. We both love color, incorporating vibrant hues into our wardrobe and living environments.

Brita:
I like vintage-y design, while my mother is more crisp/ modern with an ethnic textile edge. I always joke that she is the “queen of green” which is not really my color. I gravitate more towards magentas and fuchsias.

Sigrid:
Brita has a very keen eye, much more detail oriented than mine. She has a love for Americana, vintage, and tradition, and has a very discerning and critical perception when assessing any visual situation. I tend to be looser about things, less controlled…more in-line with my hippie roots. She is more careful, more delicate and more graceful in almost every way. She is also really funny.

Brita:
I have always watched my mother paint and design with such a casual effortless nature and have thought “that is what creativity feels like”. It just pours out of her. She had never had a ‘creative block’ that I know of, SO that inspires me to always think of new ideas and when in doubt, just forge ahead and create.

Sigrid:
Brita inspires me with her originality, her ability to take inspiration from such a wide range of sources and her courage to try anything.

Brita:
Optimism! My mom has always had people that really enjoy working with her, because she has a sense of humor and warmth. A cheerful attitude gets you everywhere, people want to be around you, and talented professionals want to collaborate with you. Life is too short to get bogged down in negativity.

Sigrid:
What I have learned from Brita: If you are going to make or do something, don’t be afraid to take it all the way and don’t settle for just OK…make it great.

Brita:
I would like to continue on the path that I am on, growing my own event planning company. I love that I have a job that takes me into all different situations and keeps me meeting new people and constantly thinking out of the box. Event planning comes naturally to me, because I love problem solving and working with food, decor and coaxing out a bride’s personal style.

Sigrid:
I would like to take my artist’s eye and newly rediscovered sense of well-being and combine them to create a new hospitality concept…wellness hotel that integrates all aspects of my lifestyle…art gallery, yoga studio, the beauty of nature, a fresh food kitchen, fun shopping and uplifting hotel space for a mainstream audience.

I am a photographer. I shoot in a photojournalistic style and love to explore alternative processes for printing my images (cyanotypes, transfers, mixed media, and non-silver processes).

I started a photography business with my fiancé called Over the Moon Studios and work a day job as a designer for Kathy Davis Studios, where I do photography, graphic design and an occasional watercolor illustration.

Kathy:
I am a designer, a painter, a writer and a business owner. I design greeting cards, fabric, tableware and all sorts of other social expression and lifestyle product. I like to think that the way I run my business is creative also.

Katie:
While studying photography in college, I was late to register for my classes one semester and by that time most of the courses I had any interest in were filled. The only class left was a non- silver class. I had no clue what that even was. I came to learn that it was a class teaching alternative photography printing techniques. It offered me a whole new creative and expressive element that had been missing from my work up to that point. I was hooked.

Kathy:
After I left my first career as an elementary and art educator to have my two kids, Ben and Katie, a divorce challenged me to carve a career path that would satisfy my entrepreneurial and creative interests. From the corner of my bedroom, I started my company in 1990 as a freelance greeting card designer. Today we have 22 employees and partnerships with American Greetings, Westminster Fibers, Tabletops Unlimited and others.

Katie:
Growing up in and around an art studio has undoubtedly influenced me. I think my mother’s loose painting style and expressive aesthetic is a clear influence. I’ve always envied her poetic writing style and I try to evoke that same kind of emotion with my photographic work.

Kathy:
Katie decided late in high school that art might not be such a bad way to make a living, after all, and she has been impressing me ever since. Her photography and design work is intuitive, simple and tasteful. When she started designing, I remarked, somewhat surprised, “That’s pretty good, you know,” to which she replied, “I grew up with it, Mom.”

Katie:
We both draw inspiration primarily from nature, people and the relationship between the two. I also think we share a passion for loose, handmade, uninhibited artwork.

Kathy:
Katie and I both love to work expressively and emotively. We both love nature and strive to make our work organic and meaningful.

Katie:
Besides the obvious differences in our mediums, I would say my mother’s work is largely positivity based where as mine might be a bit more somber at times. My Mom is “all color all the time” and I couldn’t be more different in that way.

Kathy:
Katie does not stress over her creative work. She executes and moves on. I tend to think longer and harder and struggle to find a “perfect” solution. Katie reminds me often that less is more.

Katie:
Simply, her passion for it. It’s undeniable.

Kathy:
Katie’s devotion to all things natural and handmade inspires me. Her aesthetic and discriminating process is finely tuned. She knows what she likes. She helps me to edit more freely.

Katie:
My mother taught us to find beauty in all things. I think that is the seed of art and I can’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t see the world that way. I am infinitely grateful for that.

Kathy:
Katie teaches me over and over about the importance of living a well-balanced life and not working so hard all the time. When she was much younger, one morning she attached a post-it note message to my planner that said, “Relax and enjoy today.” While it has suffered years of wear and tear, I have kept this post-it reminder on my planner ever since.

Katie:
I want to find ways to share my work with more people while staying true to myself as an artist.

Kathy:
I hope to keep building my business and guiding my team at Kathy Davis Studios while finding more time to do the creative work I love. I want to travel, garden, enjoy my family and expose myself to the gifts life has to offer. And it would be nice to just paint for the fun of it someday! Another dream of mine is to create a Scatter Joy Center for the Arts where the goal is to scatter joy through art, living and giving.

Rebecca:I’m a painter and sculptor with a whimsical, expressionistic style. I do mostly figurative, compositional work in acrylic and sculpt in clay. I also have opened up my own gallery in West Hollywood, CA in 2009 and represent several artists as well as my own artwork. I also teach sculpting workshops.

Candice: I have always been interested in creating and working on an assortment of projects and experimenting with different mediums. I have briefly worked for a stylist, interior designer and have been an art therapist. My parents have been the greatest influence on my creative growth.

Rebecca:I studied graphic design and illustration in college and worked in the graphic design field for about 15 years. I also did several interior design renderings and fashion illustrations, which I believe had a great influence in the development of my current style of work.

Candice:My mother has been setting an example by constantly painting, designing and looking for new creative venues.

Rebecca:Candice has inspired me to take more risks in my own creative process and be more open to what’s out there to explore. Her use of color and patterns in everything she does, whether painting or styling, has always been a great influence since she was very young.

Candice:We both use bold colors and funky suggestive figures.

Rebecca:We both like to think of our own ideas and follow them through, and we both often use bold color palettes.

Candice:I take more risks in subject matters and work in a variety of styles.

Rebecca:We work in different styles and use different techniques in painting.

Candice:I find her technique of painting and the way she works from dark to light, layering colors on top of each other very inspiring. Also, her stylized figures without use of any models has been very influential for me.

Rebecca:I love how Candice thinks out of the box and is not scared of taking risks.

Candice:I’ve learned to be persistent in what I like to do and be open to new art forms.

Rebecca:I’ve learned that creativity is limitless…

Candice:My goals are to keep learning and becoming a better tattoo artist and painter. At the moment I am working on a series of paintings for my first gallery art show.

Rebecca:I’d like to work on larger figurative sculptures and a new series of paintings with a more abstract and isolated approach in style. I would also like to expand my home collection, which will include a line of pillows and tote bags.

I’m most interested in graphic design. More specifically, I love patterns, color and typography. I also love doing detailed, intricate fine art. Instead of doing huge pieces of art, I tend to focus on a small area and add lots of details.

Katie:I’m currently serving as Design Director at Kathy Davis Studios, where I’ve been designing greeting cards and art for related product for the past sixteen years. I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to combine a career with a passion, and am grateful every day for the privilege of working in a creative environment with such talented and wonderful people. My personal artwork incorporates a variety of media, but my primary interests are watercolor, paper collage, photography and illustration.

Maggie:Art has always had a huge influence in my life. When I was very young, I would always be coloring in coloring books or making my own drawings. I’ve taken art classes throughout my school career and I hope to continue that education in college.

Katie:I find great reward in providing a visual path for others toward self-awareness, literacy, and strong interpersonal relationships. My interest in helping children explore a creative path led me to pursue a degree in Art Education, after which I served as an elementary and middle school art teacher. I have always loved children’s books, and I ventured into book illustration for a period of time, something I continue to keep on the radar. Designing greeting cards has offered a way to use my art to create opportunities for connection.

Maggie:My mom’s creative work has encouraged me to express myself in whatever way I want. She always makes me feel comfortable with whatever I want to do in life. She is a perfect example of how someone can make a career from what they love to do.

Katie:Maggie is very attentive to detail in her artwork. As I watch her interpret school assignments for her art classes, I’m impressed by her commitment to doing her best work from beginning to end. She doesn’t often choose to take shortcuts, and doesn’t compromise her vision just to “get it done.” Her interest in typography and clean graphics has motivated me to play a little more with these elements in my own work.

Maggie:We both love color and patterns! Also, we are both attracted to simplicity, innovation, and good design in general.

Katie:Color, color, color. We both love it and use it widely in our work. Both of us also pay a great deal of attention to composition, and find ourselves noodling over the littlest detail until it feels right.

Maggie:I am more interested in typography and digital design, while my mom is more interested in the fine arts and traditional art.

Katie:Maggie’s interests lie in the graphic design world where form, color, layout and typography are her tools and the computer is her playground. I am more comfortable with a brush or pen in hand, and prefer to create with things I can physically manipulate. Over the years, I’ve learned to work digitally, but feel most at home when I’m playing with paint.

Maggie:My mom is never afraid to try new things. Even if she becomes frustrated, she keeps working and generating fresh, new ideas.

Katie:I am inspired by Maggie’s ability to draw from real life. She’s created drawings of crumpled blue jeans, slouchy boots, and draped fabric that were unbelievably accurate, and her ability to render details in pen or graphite is most impressive. She has always had a strong spatial sense in her drawings, and was able to draw from observation at a very young age. When she was five and six, I would find her intently copying the greeting cards I designed, or pages from a favorite book, with attention to detail that were beyond her years. To this day, I marvel at her tenacity and patience as she moves through complex projects.

Maggie:My mother has taught me the importance of being honest with yourself and your creative thoughts. Be original, be yourself, and don’t let anyone dictate how something should look.

Katie:Every day, Maggie inspires me with her example of determination. When she sets a goal, she creates a plan that will help her reach it, and systematically moves through each step along the way. Whether it is in the area of academics, personal finances, fitness, or creativity, she has shown me that anything is possible through perseverance. Even when faced with a setback, she is able to hit “restart” and get back on track. Despite her goal-oriented nature, she keeps things light with her great sense of humor and we frequently find ourselves in fits of laughter over random silliness.

Maggie:I hope to attend an art school and major in Graphic Design. I’d love to work in a graphic design field like package design, brand identity, or surface and textile design.

Katie:I’d love to try working on a larger scale – to explore painting with oils on large canvases where I need to stand up and move around to create. I love abstract art, and am feeling drawn to do more of this as my work continues to evolve. Illustrating for children’s books has been an ongoing interest and although it’s a tough industry to break into, perhaps I can channel some of Maggie’s determination toward that end.

Mothers and daughters share a lot of things in common – from how they look – to the things they cook – to what inspires them to follow their passions and dreams. In my own case, I chose to alter my path as a teacher to pursue my passion for a career in the arts. That choice to follow my creative instincts has proven to be very rewarding for me in many ways.

However, little did I know that my own daughter, Katie, who grew up playing sports, watching TV and hanging out with friends, would choose to pursue her passions in the arts. As a young child, she watched me paint and did some dabbling herself, but she soon followed her peers into the world of whatever seemed “cool” for the moment. Just before her senior year in high school she decided that art might not be such a bad way to make a living, after all. Today, at age 26, she has a degree in Photography, works as a designer at Kathy Davis Studios and has started a photography business on the side with her soon-to-be husband.

My own experience is one I heard echoed in some of my artist friends, whose daughters, or mothers, are also involved in the arts. It gave me the idea for an interview series that would be timely for Mother’s Day.

Is creativity genetic? Is it a natural instinct or instead is it inspired or acquired by osmosis? Whether hereditary or acquired, the love of art often passes from one generation to the next. While daughters may be inspired to follow in the footsteps of their mothers before them, each of them are creating a path that’s all their own.

In this blog series, you’ll meet 6 different mother-daughter duos – each with their own unique story of how art has played a role in their lives – and how that passion for art creates a shared bond between them.

It is not often that I get as excited about a project as I am about THIS one!!!

As you know, May brings with it some beautiful things…longer days, warmer sunshine, blooming flowers…and Mother’s Day!

This year, the day that we honor Mothers falls on Sunday, May 13th, and I have a very special treat in store for you! Starting this Sunday, May 6th and lasting all through the week leading up to Mother’s Day, I am posting interviews with some very special Mothers and Daughters.

Since my own daughter, Katie, has chosen a career in the Arts as I have, I thought it would be interesting to do a blog series that features mothers and daughters who share the creative gene. I rounded up six different mother-daughter duos (including Katie and myself) who have agreed to share a bit of their personal stories with us about how they keep art in the family.